Designated Main Street Communities

Communities must participate at the Network or Rural Network Member level in order to be eligible to apply for designation as a Main Street Community. 

“Beatrice has made progress and great things are happening!  Our recent success is attributed to being a designated Nebraska Main Street Community. With help from the Nebraska Main Street Network, we have increased engagement with our stakeholders and through that have learned to be more strategic in our downtown revitalization efforts and more efficient in the management of our organization .  The Main Street program has helped us realize new progress and investments in our community."

--Michael Sothan, Executive Director of Main Street Beatrice

• Designated Main Street Communities operate at a high level of management and are applying the Main Street Approach to the full extent.  Benefits of participation at the Designated Main Street Community level include:
• National Main Street Center Membership that includes expanded offerings to only those communities designated by a State coordinating program along with the exclusive right to identify affiliation with the Main Street program;
• Unlimited access to (some of it fee-based with a contract) information, resources, on-site and off-site technical assistance, organizational development support, on-going organizational guidance, special project assistance, presentations, training, visioning  and strategic plan development; letters of support or testimony for grant applications or when seeking support from local entities;
• on-site technical assistance; visit can be on any topic but these are the most common—
  • Board, Committee & New Director orientation
  • Half-day refresher course of the Main Street program for board/committees
  • Organizational development support or topic specific assistance (according to community requests/needs)
  • Visioning, strategic planning, and work plan development
• Discounted or FREE registration for statewide meetings/trainings and for all webinar training (discount extends to local managers, board members, committee volunteers, business/property owners, tourism, economic development/Chamber leaders, community members and public officials)
• Eligibility to bid to host statewide meetings and trainings including webinars
• Promotional listing on the website, in the annual report, in promotional materials, news, social media, presentations
• Marketing and advocacy (legislative, marketing & promotion of your activities and projects)
• Annual awards recognition
• Access to grants when available
• Eligibility for National Main Street Accreditation
• Free networking and information services including the weekly email update with tips, information and resources; members only portal with sample documents and templates on the website
• Remote access to staff using Skype or ZOOM for meetings and other activities (board & committee meetings, special assistance requests)
• Nebraska Main Street Network Community Road Signs (extra fee required)